A young woman asked for an appointment with her pastor to talk with him about a
besetting sin about which she was worried. When she saw him, she said, "Pastor,
I have become aware of a sin in my life which I cannot control. Every time I am
at church I begin to look around at the other women, and I realize that I am the
prettiest one in the whole congregation. None of the others can compare with my
beauty. What can I do about this sin?"

The pastor replied, "Mary, that's not a sin, why
that's just a mistake!"

“There is perhaps no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride.
Beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive.
Even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be
proud of my humility.”

“Pride is the dandelion of the soul. Its root goes deep; only a little left
behind sprouts again. Its seeds lodge in the tiniest encouraging cracks. And it
flourishes in good soil: The danger of pride is that it feeds on goodness.”

As the story goes, Muhammad Ali looked up with that saucy grin of his and said
in a slow, gravelly voice, "Superman don't need no seatbelt!" Without missing a
beat, the flight attendant packed a punch with this quick reply: "Superman don't
need no airplane, so how about fastening up!"

Of course, Ali was only joking. If a person really believed he was Superman, he
would be seriously deluded. He would be like the ancient Edomites in today's
Scripture who had been self-deceived by their own pride. The truth is, we all
have the same tendency.

A. W. Tozer aptly described the kind of Christians the Lord longs for us to be:
"Men and women who have stopped being 'fooled' about their own strength and are
not afraid of being 'caught' depending on their all-sufficient
Lord."
--JEY

Sift the substance of my life,
Filtering out the sin and strife;
Leave me, Lord, a purer soul,
Cleansed and sanctified and whole. --Lemon

For I say . . . to everyone who is among you,
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.
--Romans 12:3

Some people are big in their own eyes and feel that everyone else must cater to
them. The best cure for such an overinflated view of oneself is a good look in
the mirror of God's Word. If you think of yourself more highly than you should
(Rom. 12:3), then read Psalm 14 and Romans 3:9-18. These are God's candid-camera
shots of the human heart.

Pride should find no place in the heart of a follower of Jesus Christ.
--

MRD

Naught have I've gotten but what I received;
Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;
Boasting excluded--pride I abase;
I'm only a sinner saved by grace. --Gray

George Washington Carver, the scientist who developed hundreds of useful
products from the peanut said: "When I was young, I said to God, 'God, tell me
the mystery of the universe.' But God answered, 'That knowledge is reserved for
me alone.' So I said, 'God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.' Then God said,
'Well, George, that's more nearly your size.' And he told me."

The concert impresario, Sol Hurok, liked to say that Marian Anderson hadn't
simply grown great, she'd grown great simply. He says: "A few years ago a
reporter interviewed Marian and asked her to name the greatest moment in her
life. I was in her dressing room at the time and was curious to hear the answer.
I knew she had many big moments to choose from. There was the night Toscanini
told her that hers was the finest voice of the century. There was the private
concert she gave at the White House for the Roosevelts and the King and Queen of
England. She had received the $10,000 Bok Award as the person who had done the
most for her home town, Philadelphia. To top it all, there was that Easter
Sunday in Washington when she stood beneath the Lincoln statue and sang for a
crowd of 75,000, which included Cabinet members, Supreme Court Justices, and
most members of Congress. Which of those big moments did she choose? "None of
them," said Hurok. "Miss Anderson told the reporter that the greatest moment of
her life was the day she went home and told her mother she wouldn't have to take
in washing anymore."

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/humility.htmWakefield tells the story of the famous
inventor Samuel Morse who was once asked if he ever encountered situations where
he didn't know what to do. Morse responded, "More than once, and whenever I
could not see my way clearly, I knelt down and prayed to God for light and
understanding."

Morse received many honors from his invention of the telegraph but felt
undeserving: "I have made a valuable application of electricity not because I
was superior to other men but solely because God, who meant it for mankind, must
reveal it to someone and He was pleased to reveal it to me."

Winston Churchill was once asked, "Doesn't it thrill you to know that every time
you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?" "It's quite flattering,"
replied Sir Winston. "But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if
instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be
twice as big."

On his way to a reception held in his honor,
Ulysses S. Grant got caught in a shower and offered to share his umbrella with a
stranger walking in the same direction. The man said he was going to Grant's
reception out of curiosity; he had never seen the general. "I have always
thought that Grant was a much over-rated man," he said. "That's my view also,"
Grant replied.

The person who links lofty vision with conceit is usually masking a lack of
self-esteem. True achievers have an understanding of how small they really are
in the scheme of things.
President Theodore Roosevelt loved to spend his summers on San Juan Island, in
the waters north of Seattle, near Victoria, British Columbia. If you've been
there, you know what a beautiful spot it is.
"Teddy" was a well-known lover of nature. One night, after an evening of
conversation, he took a walk with his friend, William Beebe. They stopped and
looked up at the vastness of the universe and were in awe of the Milky Way, the
big and little dippers, and the endless black sky. Finally, Roosevelt broke the
silence and said, "Now, I think we are small enough, Let's call it a night."
That's the right perspective. When you finally realize your weakness you begin
to find great strength.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/humility.htmWhen I saw Sadhu Sundar Singh in Europe,
he had completed a tour around the world. People asked him, Doesn't it do harm,
your getting so much honor?" The Sadhu's answer was: "No. The donkey went into
Jerusalem, and they put garments on the ground before him. He was not proud. He
knew it was not done to honor him, but for Jesus, who was sitting on his back.
When people honor me, I know it is not me, but the Lord, who does the job."

Hudson Taylor was scheduled to speak at a Large Presbyterian church in
Melbourne, Australia. The moderator of the service introduced the missionary in
eloquent and glowing terms. He told the large congregation all that Taylor had
accomplished in China, and then presented him as "our illustrious guest." Taylor
stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message by saying, "Dear
friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master."

HAVE SOMEONE READ:
Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of
my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

A frog was wondering how he could get away from the cold winter climate. Some
wild geese suggested that he migrate with them. The problem, though, was that
the frog couldn't fly.

"Just leave it to me," said the frog. "I've got a splendid brain." He thought
about it and then asked two geese to help him by picking up a strong reed, each
holding one end. The frog planned to hold on to the reed with his mouth.

In due time the geese and the frog started on their journey. Soon they were
passing over a small town, and the villagers came out to see the unusual sight.
Someone cried out, "Who could have come up with such a clever idea?" This made
the frog so puffed up with a sense of importance that he exclaimed, "I did it!"
His pride was his undoing, for the moment he opened his mouth he lost his hold
and fell to his death.

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov.
16:18), but the Lord crowns humility with His blessing. Solomon also said, "Let
another man praise you, and not your own mouth" (27:2). If we would talk more
about the Lord and praise Him, we would have less time to talk about ourselves.
--MRD

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name. --Wesley

No one has ever choked to death from swallowing
his pride.

LEADER: Have you ever been like the frog…things
start going well and because of success, we find it easy to boast…take the
credit…forget to give God the glory.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Deuteronomy 8:1-21 (ALL
TURN TO)1 "All
the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that
you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore
to give to your forefathers. 2 "You shall remember all the way which
the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might
humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep
His commandments or not. 3 "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and
fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He
might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives
by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. 4 "Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell
these forty years. 5 "Thus you are to know in your heart that the
LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. 6 "Therefore,
you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to
fear Him. 7 "For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land,
a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys
and hills; 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and
pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; 9 a land where you will
eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything; a land whose
stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 "When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD
your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 "Beware that
you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His
ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; 12 otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built
good houses and lived in them, 13 and when your herds and your
flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have
multiplies, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget
the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house
of slavery. 15 "He led you through the great and terrible wilderness,
with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no
water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. 16 "In the
wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might
humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. 17 "Otherwise,
you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this
wealth.' 18 "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He
who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which
He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 "It shall come about
if you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and
worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. 20 "Like
the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish;
because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God.

A Texas farmer was talking with a farmer from Oklahoma. "How big is your farm?"
asked the Texan.

"Oh, it's big," replied the Sooner. "Better than a thousand acres."

Not to be outdone, the Texan replied, "Let me tell you. I can get into my pickup
at sunup, head west, and by sundown I'm still on my land."

The Oklahoman thought for a moment and smiled. "You know," he said, "I had a
pickup like that once!"

We all need to be humbled. Boastful pride and a self-sufficient attitude that
ignores God will undermine our faith in His Word and thwart His blessings.

The Israelites learned this lesson the hard way. For 40 years God had sustained
them by the miracles of the manna, the cloud, and the pillar of fire. But to a
new generation who knew nothing else, the supernatural had become natural. So
Moses reminded them that God had humbled their parents with hunger, then fed
them, so they'd know He was their provider.

Today science makes progress in many fields. Our lives are improved, and we take
pride in our ability to solve our problems. Then comes an echo from the past:
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the
mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). -DJD

Work hard! But give the glory to
The Father up above;
For all good gifts come from His hand
As tokens of His love. --Gustafson

Whom God greatly exalts, He first humbles.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:
Mark 9:34-37

34 But
they kept silent, for on the way (6)
they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "(7)
If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." 36 Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His
arms, He said to them, 37 "(8)
Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever
receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me."

Benjamin Franklin, the early American statesman, made a list of character
qualities that he wanted to develop in his own life. When he mastered one
virtue, he went on to the next. He did pretty well, he said, until he got to
humility. Every time he thought he was making significant progress, he would be
so pleased with himself that he became proud.

Humility is an elusive virtue. Even Jesus' disciples struggled with it. When
Jesus learned that they had been arguing about who was the greatest, He
responded, "If anyone desires to be first, he should be last of all and
servant of all" (Mark 9:35). Then He took a little child in His arms
and indicated that we need to humbly serve others as if we were serving Christ.

If a news reporter were to talk to our friends, neighbors, or fellow church
members and ask them to describe us, would they use the word humble? --DCE

True greatness does not lie with those
Who strive for worldly fame;
It lies instead with those who choose
To serve in Jesus' name. --DJD

When Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency at the death of F.D.R., Sam
Rayburn gave him some fatherly advice; "From here on out you're going to have
lots of people around you. They'll try to put a wall around you and cut you ff
from any ideas but theirs. They'll tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But
you and I both know you ain't."

When I read that I thought of the importance of having a friend who knows "you
ain't"

You are a person

You are a human

You are a sinner

You are a struggler

You are someone for whom Christ died . . . . and that
makes you very special.

“Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is for me to have no trouble; never
to be fretted or vexed or irritated or sore or disappointed. It is to expect
nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against
me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised.
It is to have a blessed home in the Lord where I can go in and shut the door and
kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace as in a deep sea of calmness when
all around is trouble. It is the fruit of the Lord Jesus Christ's redemptive
work on Calvary's cross, manifested in those of His own who are definitely
subject to the Holy Spirit.”

It was John Riskin who said, "I believe the first test of a truly great man is
his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own power, or hesitation
in speaking his opinion. But really great men have a ... feeling that the
greatness is not in them but through them; that they could not do or be anything
else than God made them." Andrew Murray said, "The humble man feels no jealousy
or envy. He can praise God when others are preferred and blessed before him. He
can bear to hear others praised while he is forgotten because ... he has
received the spirit of Jesus, who pleased not Himself, and who sought not His
own honor. Therefore, in putting on the Lord Jesus Christ he has put on the
heart of compassion, kindness, meekness, longsuffering, and humility." M.R. De
Haan used to say, "Humility is something we should constantly pray for, yet
never thank God that we have."

“The higher a man is in grace, the lower he will
be in his own estimation. Not because he is comparing himself with people, but
because he is comparing himself with the Lord God.”

Charles Spurgeon

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Matthew 23:1-12 (ALL TURN
TO)1 Then
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: "The
scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do
according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 "They
tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are
unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5 "But they do all
their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and
lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 "They love the place of
honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and
respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8 "But
do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who
is in heaven. 10 "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader,
that is, Christ. 11 "But the greatest among you shall be your
servant. 12 "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever
humbles himself shall be exalted.

It's one thing to pray for humility. It's quite another to live it. Our desire
to be humble may lead us to do acts of servanthood--helping in the nursery,
babysitting when it's inconvenient, running errands. But this can quickly turn
into pride. Author and speaker Joni Eareckson Tada said it well: "We grab for
humility and--poof--it disappears like stardust through our fingers."

So how can we know when we are truly humble? We can't! But when serving others
becomes second nature to us, we are pursuing the ideal that Jesus set forth in
Matthew 23. After pointing out that the scribes and Pharisees were always
seeking power and position, He said, "He who humbles himself will be exalted".

Senator Mark Hatfield exemplified the spirit of service Jesus advocated. He
attended a weekly Bible study at his church in Washington, DC, along with other
politicians and professionals. As soon as the meetings ended, most rushed off to
their jobs. But Senator Hatfield usually stayed to stack chairs--and he was the
highest ranking official there!

When serving others comes from the inside out, as a true deed of compassion, we
are growing in humility. But we won't know it. We'll be doing it naturally.
That's what true humility is all about. --DCE

If we would know the joy of Christ,
A wellspring in the soul,
Then we must give up sinful pride
And take a servant's role. --DJD

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he
who humbles himself will be exalted.
--Luke 14:11

A small western college was struggling financially. The buildings were shabby,
and staff salaries were meager.

A stranger visited the campus one day and asked a man who was washing a wall
where he could find the president. "I think you can see him at his house at
noon," was the reply.

The visitor went as directed and met the president, whom he recognized as the
same man who was scrubbing a wall earlier in the day, though he was now in
different clothes.

Later that same week, a letter came with a gift of $50,000 for the college. The
spirit of service on the part of the president had made a positive impression on
the visitor. Because the benefactor saw a man who was not too proud to help
where needed, even though it involved what some might term a menial task, he was
moved to contribute generously to the school.

The lesson is clear. God rewards those who take a lowly place. The Savior
Himself set the pattern by becoming man and giving His life for us (Phil.
2:3-11).

Keep in mind Jesus' words in Luke 14:11. "He who humbles himself will be
exalted." That's humility's reward! --RWD

God often uses lowly ones
His purpose to fulfill,
Because it takes a humble heart
To carry out His will. --DJD

True service is love in working clothes.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:
John 13:13-15

13 "You
call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 "If I
then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one
another's feet. 15 "For I gave you an example that you also should do
as I did to you.

I once heard a preacher say, "The opposite of love is not hate--it's self!" That
surprising statement reminded me of 2 Timothy 3:1-4, where Paul listed the signs
of the endtimes. One of those signs is people who are "lovers of themselves"
(v.2). In sharp contrast to these self-saturated people are those whose lives
are saturated with the servant attitude of Christ.

When Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, He gave us an example to follow. We
too are to serve others selflessly.

That was the heart of what General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation
Army, said just before He died. His little mission to the poor of London had
spread across the world. His "soldiers" were gathered together at an
international convention. General Booth had intended to be there to deliver the
main address, but because he became ill he was unable to come. Those at the
convention longed to receive a message from their beloved leader. So from his
sickbed Booth dictated a one-word telegram that would be his last sermon. His
final message was this: "Others!"

If we had to give our last word today, what would it be--a self-word or a
servant-word? The time to decide is now, while we can still change. --JEY

When Jesus washed His followers' feet,
He stooped to meet their need;
He showed us how to humbly serve,
To love in word and deed. --Sper

Joy comes by putting Jesus first, Others second,
and Yourself last.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Philippians 2:1-9 (ALL
TURN TO)1 Therefore
if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if
there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2
make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love,
united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from
selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as
more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own
personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this
attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself,
taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to
the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also,
God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ
Jesus. —Philippians 2:5

Bill, a college student, was a new Christian. According to author Rebecca Manley
Pippert, one Sunday he visited a church near campus. He walked in barefoot and
was wearing a T-shirt and jeans. The service had already started, so he walked
down the aisle looking for a seat. Finding none, he sat down cross-legged on the
floor—right in front of the pulpit!

The congregation became noticeably uneasy. Then, from the back of the church, an
elderly deacon got up and with his cane slowly made his way to the front. Every
eye followed him. The minister paused and there was total silence. As the old
gentleman approached Bill, he dropped his cane and with great effort lowered
himself and sat down beside him so the young man wouldn't have to worship alone.
Many in the congregation were deeply moved.

Paul wrote that Christ, being equal with God, set aside His reputation, and
became obedient unto death—the ultimate act of humility (Philippians 2:6-8).
Why? To come to us in our loneliness, to forgive our sins, and to teach us a new
way to live and worship.

When we learn to think as Jesus thought, we see people through the same eyes as
that godly deacon. May we learn how to humble ourselves for the benefit of
others. —DJD

Oh, to see the needs of others
More important than our own,
Following our Lord's example
When He left His heavenly throne. —Sper

We can do great things for the Lord if we are
willing to do little things for others.

When our Master came into the world, how did he
come? He came as the babe in the manger. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes,
and dwelt in the obscure town of Nazareth. It would seem that because of the way
he came, and the way he lived among men, it would be necessary to have many
texts to prove that he was God as well as man. Did you ever get the seven steps
down that he took in coming to this earth? I want to point them out. From:
Philippians 2:6-8: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a
man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross." He was "equal with God," and he began to step down, down, down, unto the
lowest depths. Notice the steps:

First step,
"Made himself of no reputation."

Second step, “Took
the form of a servant."

Third step,
"Made in the likeness of men."

Fourth step,
"Found in fashion as a man.

Fifth step,
"Humbled himself."

Sixth step,
"Became obedient unto death."

Seventh step, "Even
the death of the cross."

Isn’t it amazing that when
we find Him at the lowest depths -- as low as He could have gone then God
exalted Him.

A small cathedral outside
Bethlehem marks the supposed birthplace of Jesus. Behind a high altar in the
church is a cave, a little cavern lit by silver lamps.

You can enter the main
edifice and admire the ancient church. You can also enter the quiet cave where a
star embedded in the floor recognizes the birth of the King. There is one
stipulation, however. You have to stoop. The door is so low you can't go in
standing up.

The same is true of the
Christ. You can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, you have
to get on your knees.

LEADER: We have an election coming up. How
blessed we are to have a President who gets on his knees…who is not ashamed of
his faith…who prays for our nation and who is prayed for by Christians in this
nation.

Today we are living in a
nation that is being attacked for the Christian principles upon which it was
founded. We need a President in office these next four years who will stand on
these Biblical principles.

LEADER: This Proclamationfor a Day of National
Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer by President Abraham Lincoln is testimony to
our early nation’s faith in God:

Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme
Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of
nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set
apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.

And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence
upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in
humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy
and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures
and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the
Lord.

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been
preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers,
wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God.
We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied
and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the
deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some
superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we
have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and
preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.”

Abraham Lincoln,

Proclamation of a day of National Humiliation,
Fasting and Prayer, 1863.

Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the
views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart
Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation,
fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on
that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several
places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to
the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to
that solemn occasion.

All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope
authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be
heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our
national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to
its former happy condition of unity and peace.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: 2
Chronicles 7:14

and My people who are called by My name
humblethemselves and pray and seek My face and turn from
their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will
heal their land.

LEADER: Helen Keller once said: “I long to accomplish great and noble tasks,
but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and
noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes,
but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.”

Each of
us as one of earth’s honest workers, can do humble tasks with big results. We
can pray and we can vote.

COMMENTS IT TIME:

STOP AT
10 TILL FOR

PRAYER
REQUESTS AND PRAISES:

CUT AND DISTRIBUTE FOR READING:

“Matter of Perspective”

A young woman asked for an
appointment with her pastor to talk with him about a besetting sin about which
she was worried. When she saw him, she said, "Pastor, I have become aware of a
sin in my life which I cannot control. Every time I am at church I begin to look
around at the other women, and I realize that I am the prettiest one in the
whole congregation. None of the others can compare with my beauty. What can I do
about this sin?"

The pastor replied, "Mary,
that's not a sin, why that's just a mistake!"

QUOTE #1

"Be not proud of race,
face, place, or grace."

C. H. Spurgeon, Most popular English preacher of
the 19th Century

QUOTE #2

“There is perhaps no one
of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Beat it down, stifle it,
mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive. Even if I could conceive
that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.”

Benjamin Franklin, from his autobiography.

QUOTE #3

“God wisely designed the
human body so that we can neither pat our own backs nor kick ourselves too
easily.”

Guideposts
“Supermen And Airplanes”

The pride of your heart
has deceived you. --Obadiah 1:3.

As the story goes, Muhammad
Ali looked up with that saucy grin of his and said in a slow, gravelly voice,
"Superman don't need no seatbelt!" Without missing a beat, the flight attendant
packed a punch with this quick reply: "Superman don't need no airplane, so how
about fastening up!"

Of course, Ali was only
joking. If a person really believed he was Superman, he would be seriously
deluded. He would be like the ancient Edomites in today's Scripture who had been
self-deceived by their own pride. The truth is, we all have the same tendency.

A. W. Tozer aptly described
the kind of Christians the Lord longs for us to be: "Men and women who have
stopped being 'fooled' about their own strength and are not afraid of being
'caught' depending on their all-sufficient Lord."

Sift the substance of my life,
Filtering out the sin and strife;
Leave me, Lord, a purer soul,
Cleansed and sanctified and whole. --Lemon

To experience God's strength,
we must admit our weakness.

QUOTE #4

“Pride is the dandelion of
the soul. Its root goes deep; only a little left behind sprouts again. Its seeds
lodge in the tiniest encouraging cracks. And it flourishes in good soil: The
danger of pride is that it feeds on goodness.”

David Rhodes

QUOTE #5

“Pride is the only disease
that makes everyone sick but the one who has it.”

“Conceited”

For I say . . . to
everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to
think. --Romans 12:3

Some people are big in
their own eyes and feel that everyone else must cater to them. The best cure for
such an overinflated view of oneself is a good look in the mirror of God's Word.
If you think of yourself more highly than you should (Rom. 12:3), then read
Psalm 14 and Romans 3:9-18. These are God's candid-camera shots of the human
heart.

Pride should find no place
in the heart of a follower of Jesus Christ. --

MRD

Naught have I've gotten but what I received;
Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;
Boasting excluded--pride I abase;
I'm only a sinner saved by grace. --Gray

The person who thinks too highly of himself

doesn't think highly enough of Christ.

“Life’s Greatest
Moment”

The concert impresario, Sol
Hurok, liked to say that Marian Anderson hadn't simply grown great, she'd grown
great simply. He says: "A few years ago a reporter interviewed Marian and asked
her to name the greatest moment in her life. I was in her dressing room at the
time and was curious to hear the answer. I knew she had many big moments to
choose from. There was the night Toscanini told her that hers was the finest
voice of the century. There was the private concert she gave at the White House
for the Roosevelts and the King and Queen of England. She had received the
$10,000 Bok Award as the person who had done the most for her home town,
Philadelphia. To top it all, there was that Easter Sunday in Washington when she
stood beneath the Lincoln statue and sang for a crowd of 75,000, which included
Cabinet members, Supreme Court Justices, and most members of Congress. Which of
those big moments did she choose? "None of them," said Hurok. "Miss Anderson
told the reporter that the greatest moment of her life was the day she went home
and told her mother she wouldn't have to take in washing anymore."

George Washington Carver,
the scientist who developed hundreds of useful products from the peanut said:
"When I was young, I said to God, 'God, tell me the mystery of the universe.'
But God answered, 'That knowledge is reserved for me alone.' So I said, 'God,
tell me the mystery of the peanut.' Then God said, 'Well, George, that's more
nearly your size.' And he told me."

QUOTE #8

Wakefield tells the story
of the famous inventor Samuel Morse who was once asked if he ever encountered
situations where he didn't know what to do. Morse responded, "More than once,
and whenever I could not see my way clearly, I knelt down and prayed to God for
light and understanding."

Morse received many honors
from his invention of the telegraph but felt undeserving: "I have made a
valuable application of electricity not because I was superior to other men but
solely because God, who meant it for mankind, must reveal it to someone and He
was pleased to reveal it to me."

QUOTE #9

Winston Churchill was once
asked, "Doesn't it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the
hall is packed to overflowing?" "It's quite flattering," replied Sir Winston.
"But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a
political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big."

“Ulysses S. Grant”

On his way to a reception held in his honor, Ulysses S. Grant got caught in a
shower and offered to share his umbrella with a stranger walking in the same
direction. The man said he was going to Grant's reception out of curiosity; he
had never seen the general. "I have always thought that Grant was a much
over-rated man," he said. "That's my view also," Grant replied.

“Small Enough”

The person who links lofty
vision with conceit is usually masking a lack of self-esteem. True achievers
have an understanding of how small they really are in the scheme of things.
President Theodore Roosevelt loved to spend his summers on San Juan Island, in
the waters north of Seattle, near Victoria, British Columbia. If you've been
there, you know what a beautiful spot it is.
"Teddy" was a well-known lover of nature. One night, after an evening of
conversation, he took a walk with his friend, William Beebe. They stopped and
looked up at the vastness of the universe and were in awe of the Milky Way, the
big and little dippers, and the endless black sky. Finally, Roosevelt broke the
silence and said, "Now, I think we are small enough, Let's call it a night."
That's the right perspective. When you finally realize your weakness you begin
to find great strength.

QUOTE #10

"They that know God will be
humble," John Flavel has said, ' and they that know themselves cannot be
proud."

Quoted in Today In The Word, November, 1989,
p.20.

QUOTE #11

When I saw Sadhu Sundar
Singh in Europe, he had completed a tour around the world. People asked him,
Doesn't it do harm, your getting so much honor?" The Sadhu's answer was: "No.
The donkey went into Jerusalem, and they put garments on the ground before him.
He was not proud. He knew it was not done to honor him, but for Jesus, who was
sitting on his back. When people honor me, I know it is not me, but the Lord,
who does the job."

Hudson Taylor was scheduled
to speak at a Large Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia. The moderator
of the service introduced the missionary in eloquent and glowing terms. He told
the large congregation all that Taylor had accomplished in China, and then
presented him as "our illustrious guest." Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and
then opened his message by saying, "Dear friends, I am the little servant of an
illustrious Master."

“Keep Your Mouth Shut”

Let another man praise
you, and not your own mouth.
--Proverbs 27:2

A frog was wondering how he
could get away from the cold winter climate. Some wild geese suggested that he
migrate with them. The problem, though, was that the frog couldn't fly.

"Just leave it to me," said
the frog. "I've got a splendid brain." He thought about it and then asked two
geese to help him by picking up a strong reed, each holding one end. The frog
planned to hold on to the reed with his mouth.

In due time the geese and
the frog started on their journey. Soon they were passing over a small town, and
the villagers came out to see the unusual sight. Someone cried out, "Who could
have come up with such a clever idea?" This made the frog so puffed up with a
sense of importance that he exclaimed, "I did it!" His pride was his undoing,
for the moment he opened his mouth he lost his hold and fell to his death.

"Pride goes before
destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. 16:18), but the Lord
crowns humility with His blessing. Solomon also said, "Let another man praise
you, and not your own mouth" (27:2). If we would talk more about the Lord and
praise Him, we would have less time to talk about ourselves. --MRD

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name. --Wesley

No one has ever choked to death from swallowing
his pride.

“Humbled”

A Texas farmer was talking
with a farmer from Oklahoma. "How big is your farm?" asked the Texan.

"Oh, it's big," replied the
Sooner. "Better than a thousand acres."

Not to be outdone, the
Texan replied, "Let me tell you. I can get into my pickup at sunup, head west,
and by sundown I'm still on my land."

The Oklahoman thought for a
moment and smiled. "You know," he said, "I had a pickup like that once!"

We all need to be humbled.
Boastful pride and a self-sufficient attitude that ignores God will undermine
our faith in His Word and thwart His blessings.

The Israelites learned this
lesson the hard way. For 40 years God had sustained them by the miracles of the
manna, the cloud, and the pillar of fire. But to a new generation who knew
nothing else, the supernatural had become natural. So Moses reminded them that
God had humbled their parents with hunger, then fed them, so they'd know He was
their provider.

Today science makes
progress in many fields. Our lives are improved, and we take pride in our
ability to solve our problems. Then comes an echo from the past: "Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God"
(Matthew 4:4).

Work hard! But give the glory to
The Father up above;
For all good gifts come from His hand
As tokens of His love. --Gustafson

Whom God greatly exalts, He first humbles.

Mark 9:34-37

“Candidates for
Humility”

He who is least among
you all will be great. --Luke 9:48

Benjamin Franklin, the
early American statesman, made a list of character qualities that he wanted to
develop in his own life. When he mastered one virtue, he went on to the next. He
did pretty well, he said, until he got to humility. Every time he thought he was
making significant progress, he would be so pleased with himself that he became
proud.

Humility is an elusive
virtue. Even Jesus' disciples struggled with it. When Jesus learned that they
had been arguing about who was the greatest, He responded, "If anyone desires
to be first, he should be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:35).
Then He took a little child in His arms and indicated that we need to humbly
serve others as if we were serving Christ.

If a news reporter were to
talk to our friends, neighbors, or fellow church members and ask them to
describe us, would they use the word humble? --DCE

True greatness does not lie with those
Who strive for worldly fame;
It lies instead with those who choose
To serve in Jesus' name. --DJD

Humility can be sought but never celebrated.

Psalm 19:14

Deuteronomy 8:1-21

“Harry Truman”

When Harry Truman was
thrust into the presidency at the death of F.D.R., Sam Rayburn gave him some
fatherly advice; "From here on out you're going to have lots of people around
you. They'll try to put a wall around you and cut you ff from any ideas but
theirs. They'll tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But you and I both
know you ain't."

When I read that I thought
of the importance of having a friend who knows "you ain't"

You are a person

You are a human

You are a sinner

You are a struggler

You are someone for whom
Christ died . . . . and that
makes you very special.

QUOTE #12

“Humility is perfect
quietness of heart. It is for me to have no trouble; never to be fretted or
vexed or irritated or sore or disappointed. It is to expect nothing, to wonder
at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at
rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a
blessed home in the Lord where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my
Father in secret and be at peace as in a deep sea of calmness when all around is
trouble. It is the fruit of the Lord Jesus Christ's redemptive work on Calvary's
cross, manifested in those of His own who are definitely subject to the Holy
Spirit.”

Andrew Murray.

QUOTE #13

It was John Riskin who
said, "I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not
mean by humility, doubt of his own power, or hesitation in speaking his opinion.
But really great men have a ... feeling that the greatness is not in them but
through them; that they could not do or be anything else than God made them."
Andrew Murray said, "The humble man feels no jealousy or envy. He can praise God
when others are preferred and blessed before him. He can bear to hear others
praised while he is forgotten because ... he has received the spirit of Jesus,
who pleased not Himself, and who sought not His own honor. Therefore, in putting
on the Lord Jesus Christ he has put on the heart of compassion, kindness,
meekness, longsuffering, and humility." M.R. De Haan used to say, "Humility is
something we should constantly pray for, yet never thank God that we have."

QUOTE #14

“The higher a man is in grace, the lower he
will be in his own estimation. Not because he is comparing himself with people,
but because he is comparing himself with the Lord God.”

Charles Spurgeon

“It Disappears Like
Stardust”

He who humbles himself
will be exalted. --Matthew 23:12

It's one thing to pray for
humility. It's quite another to live it. Our desire to be humble may lead us to
do acts of servanthood--helping in the nursery, babysitting when it's
inconvenient, running errands. But this can quickly turn into pride. Author and
speaker Joni Eareckson Tada said it well: "We grab for humility and--poof--it
disappears like stardust through our fingers."

So how can we know when we
are truly humble? We can't! But when serving others becomes second nature to us,
we are pursuing the ideal that Jesus set forth in Matthew 23. After pointing out
that the scribes and Pharisees were always seeking power and position, He said,
"He who humbles himself will be exalted".

Senator Mark Hatfield
exemplified the spirit of service Jesus advocated. He attended a weekly Bible
study at his church in Washington, DC, along with other politicians and
professionals. As soon as the meetings ended, most rushed off to their jobs. But
Senator Hatfield usually stayed to stack chairs--and he was the highest ranking
official there!

When serving others comes
from the inside out, as a true deed of compassion, we are growing in humility.
But we won't know it. We'll be doing it naturally. That's what true humility is
all about. --DCE

If we would know the joy of Christ,
A wellspring in the soul,
Then we must give up sinful pride
And take a servant's role. --DJD

When we think we're humble--we're not.

“Humility’s Reward”

Whoever exalts himself
will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
--Luke 14:11

A small western college was
struggling financially. The buildings were shabby, and staff salaries were
meager.

A stranger visited the
campus one day and asked a man who was washing a wall where he could find the
president. "I think you can see him at his house at noon," was the reply.

The visitor went as
directed and met the president, whom he recognized as the same man who was
scrubbing a wall earlier in the day, though he was now in different clothes.

Later that same week, a
letter came with a gift of $50,000 for the college. The spirit of service on the
part of the president had made a positive impression on the visitor. Because the
benefactor saw a man who was not too proud to help where needed, even though it
involved what some might term a menial task, he was moved to contribute
generously to the school.

The lesson is clear. God
rewards those who take a lowly place. The Savior Himself set the pattern by
becoming man and giving His life for us (Phil. 2:3-11).

Keep in mind Jesus' words
in Luke 14:11. "He who humbles himself will be exalted." That's humility's
reward! --RWD

God often uses lowly ones, His purpose to
fulfill,
Because it takes a humble heart, To carry out His will. --DJD

True service is love in working clothes.

“What’s Your Word?”

The Son of Man did not
come to be served, but to serve.
--Mark 10:45

I once heard a preacher
say, "The opposite of love is not hate--it's self!" That surprising statement
reminded me of 2 Timothy 3:1-4, where Paul listed the signs of the endtimes. One
of those signs is people who are "lovers of themselves" (v.2). In sharp contrast
to these self-saturated people are those whose lives are saturated with the
servant attitude of Christ.

When Jesus washed the feet
of His disciples, He gave us an example to follow. We too are to serve others
selflessly.

That was the heart of what
General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, said just before He
died. His little mission to the poor of London had spread across the world. His
"soldiers" were gathered together at an international convention. General Booth
had intended to be there to deliver the main address, but because he became ill
he was unable to come. Those at the convention longed to receive a message from
their beloved leader. So from his sickbed Booth dictated a one-word telegram
that would be his last sermon. His final message was this: "Others!"

If we had to give our last
word today, what would it be--a self-word or a servant-word? The time to decide
is now, while we can still change. --JEY

When Jesus washed His followers' feet,
He stooped to meet their need;
He showed us how to humbly serve,
To love in word and deed. --Sper

Joy comes by putting Jesus first, Others second,
and Yourself last.

“He Humbled Himself”

Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 2:5

Bill, a college student,
was a new Christian. According to author Rebecca Manley Pippert, one Sunday he
visited a church near campus. He walked in barefoot and was wearing a T-shirt
and jeans. The service had already started, so he walked down the aisle looking
for a seat. Finding none, he sat down cross-legged on the floor—right in front
of the pulpit!

The congregation became
noticeably uneasy. Then, from the back of the church, an elderly deacon got up
and with his cane slowly made his way to the front. Every eye followed him. The
minister paused and there was total silence. As the old gentleman approached
Bill, he dropped his cane and with great effort lowered himself and sat down
beside him so the young man wouldn't have to worship alone. Many in the
congregation were deeply moved.

Paul wrote that Christ,
being equal with God, set aside His reputation, and became obedient unto
death—the ultimate act of humility (Philippians 2:6-8). Why? To come to us in
our loneliness, to forgive our sins, and to teach us a new way to live and
worship.

When we learn to think as
Jesus thought, we see people through the same eyes as that godly deacon. May we
learn how to humble ourselves for the benefit of others. —DJD

Oh, to see the needs of others, More important
than our own,
Following our Lord's example, When He left His heavenly throne. —Sper

We can do great things for the Lord if we are
willing to do little things for others.

Matthew 23:1-12

John 13:13-15

Philippians 2:1-9

“The Supposed Birth
Place of Christ”

A
small cathedral outside Bethlehem marks the supposed birthplace of Jesus. Behind
a high altar in the church is a cave, a little cavern lit by silver lamps.

You
can enter the main edifice and admire the ancient church. You can also enter the
quiet cave where a star embedded in the floor recognizes the birth of the King.
There is one stipulation, however. You have to stoop. The door is so low you
can't go in standing up.

The
same is true of the Christ. You can see the world standing tall, but to witness
the Savior, you have to get on your knees.

“A Proclamation”

By the President of the
United States of America.

A Proclamation.

Whereas, the Senate of the
United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of
Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution,
requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and
humiliation.

And whereas it is the duty
of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power
of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with
assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to
recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all
history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.

QUOTE #15

“We have been the
recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many
years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no
other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the
gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and
strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our
hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and
virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too
self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too
proud to pray to the God that made us.”

Abraham Lincoln,

Proclamation of a day of National Humiliation,
Fasting and Prayer, 1863.

2 Chronicles 7:14

“A Proclamation” #2

Now, therefore, in
compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I
do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of
April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I
do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary
secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and
their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the
humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

All this being done, in
sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the
Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and
answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the
restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy
condition of unity and peace.